Lions & Tigers & Bears! Oh My!

Aren't these doll babies simply delightful? (Source: lotushaus.typepad.com)

Art is not a thing; it is a way. –Elbert Hubbard

A [bright and sunny] good afternoon to my digital darlings! Because the second semester is in full swing with two fabulous art classes in tow [Sculpture & Drawing. Yay!] , I am more determined than ever to blog daily. Yesterday afternoon, my sculpture professor asked us to bring in at least a couple of stuffed animals for next week’s class. I am super excited and curious to see what we, as a class, are going to do with them. Looking at the website of the ultra quaint Brooklyn boutique, Bird‘s current “baby bird” page, made me think of my upcoming art assignment. While perusing the site, I stumbled upon these absolutely adorable stuffed animals called, Arrow Kuma Bears. With their bold patterns and vivid color schemes, these bears burst at the seams with panache and originality. Certainly not your average bear, if you ask me. Haha. Constructed by Manhattan mastermind, Ross Menuez, these organic cotton cuties are hand silk-screened employing green […environmental, that is], soy-based dyes. Want a Kuma cuddly companion of your own? AREAWARE has got you covered.

In an incredibly interesting Spanish Literature class that I sat in on yesterday, the class discussed what constituted as art and what did not. What is the difference between “[re]crear” and “[re]producir“? Gosh, what a tough question!

When looking at the ArKu bears and pondering those questions, I asked myself if toys could be considered art. In my humble opinion, I would say so. To me, art evokes emotion and so do these, giving the classic Teddy Bear a fresh twist.

So the question[s] is are: What is art? Can it be something that can defined? I would love to hear read your thoughts!

Happy Birthday to ya, Dr. King [Me? A shameless Stevie Wonder fan? That I am. Haha.],

Dani

P.S. Have a wonderful weekend, lovies!